Fastening device



Jan. 18,1944. G. A. TINNERMAN 2,339,664

FASTENING DEVICE Filed Aug. 13,-1942 2 Sheets-Shoat l EEOREE A7/7v/vERMA N A TTORNE Y6.

Jan. 18, 1944. G. A. TINNERMAN 2,339,664

FASTENING DEVICE Filed Aug. 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arrow/vans.

Patented Jan. I8, 1944 FASTENING DEVICE George A. Tinnerman. Cleveland,Ohio, assignor to Tinnerman Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application August 13. 1942, Serial No. 454,677

Claims.

This invention relates to hollow caps provided with means whereby theymay be automatically engaged to a stud or screw. The cap itself, may,for instance, constitute a closure for a receptacle having a threadedneck, or it may be a knob, finishing button, cap-nut, or take variousother forms, but it is characterized by being formed of a. single pieceof sheet material. The invention includes both the method of making thecap device from such single piece of material and the article produced.

In.producing the article by my method I take a blank or flat sheetmaterial, preferably sheet metal, having comparative stillness butresilient characteristics, and, by cutting, stamping or pressingoperations. I form the body of the cap with two or more laterallyextending portlons, the extreme ends of the latter being recessed. Afterthe formation with the projecting wings, these wings are bent overinwardly, on their connections with the body as hinges until they extendsomewhat crosswise of the body at the bottom thereof and are spacedapart by an opening suitable to receive a stud or bolt. The ends of theinwardly bent wings are formed to bite against suchstud or to engage thethread of the bolt. Accordingly, from a single sheet oi material I haveproduced a hollow cap with stud or bolt engaging means integrallycarried by it.

Various embodiments or my cap device, made by the method above outlined,are illustrated in the drawings hereof and are hereinafter described indetail.

In the drawings. Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of my cap devicemounted on the upper portion of a container having a threaded neck; Fig.2 is a perspective partly broken away of the cap shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3is a complete perspective of this cap looking at the bottom thereof;Figs. 4 to 8 illustrate various steps in the manufacture of the cap ofFigs. 1, 2 and 3; Fig. 4 being a plan of the cutout blank, Fig. 5 a planof the partially formed cap after the pressing operation to form thebody; Fig. 6 a cross section of the partially formed cap of Fig. 5; Fig.'7 a bottom view and Fig. 8 a. cross section of the finished cap.

Fig. 9 is a bottom view of a modified form ot cap partially formed,being in a stage corresponding to Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 10 is a section of my cap embodied as knob, showing the same inplace; Fig. 11 is a view of such knob as formed before the wings havebeen turned in.

Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation ofmy cap embodied as a finishingbutton, the view showing the same held in position on a supportingpanel; Fig. 13 is a cross section of the latter embodiment, the plane ofthe section being indicated by the line l3|3 on Fig. 12.

Figs.1-i to 19 inclusive illustrate the invention as embodied in acap-nut wherein the body of the device has a polygonal form suitable forthe application of a wrench; Fig. 14 is a side elevation and Fig. 15 a.plan of one of these capnut embodiments, showing the device in the stageof manufacture after the body has been formed and while the wings areextended outwardly; Figs. 16 and 17 are respectively a side elevationand a plan showing the same nut completed by bending in the wings; Fig.18 is a perspective, broken away, showing thisnut; Fig. 19 is an axialsection showing the nut held in place by a cap screw.

Figs. 20 to 26 illustrate another form 01 capnut made by my method. Fig.20 is a side elevation and Fig. 21 a bottom plan of such can nut havingextended wings adapted to provide a multiple thread engagement with thebolt when the nut is completed; Figs. 22 and 23 are respectively a sideelevation and a bottom plan or this embodiment at a subsequent stagewhere the thread-engaglng portion of the wings has been bent on itsconnection with the rest of the wings and curved; Figs. 24 and 25are-respectively a side elevation and a bottom plan of this embodimentwhen completed by the turning in of the wings across the bottom of thenut: Fig. 26 is an axial section showing the nut of Figs. 24 and 25 inplace on a bolt passing through two plates.

Fig. 27 is a sectional side elevation of a modifled form of a nutsimilar to that of Fig. 24,

except that the device is shown without screw threads but in conditionto receive threads by a tapping operation, the tap being illustrated inthis view.

Fig. 28 is a sectional side elevation of a modifled form of cap nut madeby my forming and bending operations but with the thread-carrying memberdiiierently carried from that heretotore described; and Fig. 29 is anaxial section of the cap nut of Fig. 28 in place on a cap screw holdingtogether two plates.

I will first describe the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8. InFigs. 1 and 2, I have shown a cap of inverted bowl-like Xorm having a.flat top portion Ill and 9. depending wall H which may be a segment of asphere and a pair of bottom tongues l2 which are carried by di.

ametrically opposed portions of the wall adjacent the lower edge andextend inwardly. These tongues are bent upwardly in an inclineddirection at l3 and finally terminate in concave edges M.

The edges of the two opposed tongues bound a circular opening and theseedges are slightly twisted in opposite directions or warped so that thetwo opposed edges define a turn of a helix.

The simple device described provides in effect a threaded cap. Fig. 1illustrates such a cap mounted on the threaded neck a of a container A.The warped edges of the tongues l2 act as a screw thread coacting withthe helical thread on a neck a, so that the cap is turned down byrotation into the position shown in Fig. 1. In this view the lower edgeof the cap is shown as directly abutting the flat top of the containerA. It is to be understood, however, that if desired an annular gasketmay be placed about the neck engaged by the lower edge of the cap, alsoa gasket beneath the flat top of the cap to engage the upper end of theneck of the container.

In the manufacture of the cap described, I take a comparatively thinfiat sheet of metal or other material having sufficient rigidity butspring characteristics and I cut out a blank of approximately the formshown in Fig. 4, having a disc-like portion I6, and two opposeddiametrically opposite wing portions l'l concave at their ends, therebeing four slight indentations it where the wings leave the disc. Thesecond operation is to place the blank described between the male andfemale dies, which press the disc 86 into the bowl form H, II),heretofore described, and press the wings H so that they become theoffset tongues l2, l3 heretofore described. The result of this operationis illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

The projecting offset tongues are now bent on their junctions [9 withthe bowl of the cap until they project inwardly. Either at thisoperation or the preceding operation, the edges of the tongues arewarped so that when the final article is produced, as shown in Figs. 7and 8, the extreme edges I4 of the tongues define a helical turn.

It will be noticed particularly from Figs. 3 and 8 that, by reason ofthe notches it originally formed in the blank, the bent in tongues,where they leave the bowl, have their under faces in the same plane asthe circular bottom edge of the bowl, and thus the cap has asubstantially continuous annular surface at its lower edge which mayengage any plane surface with which the cap cooperates, as, for example,the flat top of the container in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 9, I have illustrated a cap made as heretofore explained, exceptthat in this case I have provided four tongues [2 arranged 90 apartangularly. This figure corresponds in stage of operation to Fig. 5. Whenthe four tongues are bent inwardly, a cap is produced like Fig. 2,except that there are four tongues, the concave and warped ends of whichbound one or more helical threads.

Another embodiment of a. cap member made by my invention is illustratedin Figs. 10' and 11 as a round hollow knob 29 formed first with a pairof oppositely extending tongues 22. After the formation of the knob,preferably by several stamping and drawing operations to produce thepartially completed articleflof Fig. 11, the'tongues 22 formed asheretofore described are turned inwardly-to provide the thread-engagingmembers of the knob. These operations of bending in the bottom tonguescorrespond with those described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8.

Fig. 10 illustrates the knob 20 mounted on a suitable panel B by meansof a screw C. The screw is shown as having its head below the panel andthe threaded shank c passing through an opening in the panel andreceiving the nut provided by the warped oblique tongues 22,

Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate my invention in the production of a finishingbutton. In this case, I form by a suitable stamping operation oroperations a dome 30 with an extended annular flange 3i and twodiametrically opposed tongues 32. These tongues originally extendoutwardly from the edge of the flange 3| but are bent in wardly intounderlying contact with that flange. They are formed at their ends toengage the fastening member to which the button is applied.

The operations of making the finishing button are similar to thoseperformed in making the cap and the knob already described; however, ifthe finishing button is not to have a screw thread but merely tongueswhich may bite against the edge of a stud over which the button isshoved, it is not necessary to warp the edges of the tongues to bound ahelical thread.

This is the construction illustrated in Fig. 12 where D indicates apanel and E a stud having a. head engaging the underside of the paneland a smooth shank e extending through an opening in the panel and intothe dome of the finishing button. Such shank is readily engaged by thetongues if the button is shoved by straight movement parallel with theaxis of the shank into the position shown in Fig. 12, whereupon thetongues would be slightly sprung apart by the shank (which was greaterin diameter than the original opening between the tongues) and thus thetongues will have spring biting action on the shank to hold the buttonin place.

In Figs. 14 to 19 inclusive, I have illustrated a polygonal cap nut madeby my method. In these views 40 indicates the top portion of the nut.shown as centrally domed, and 4| indicates the wall thereof, which is apoly on (shown as an octagon), having diametrically opposite sidesparallel with each other. Extending from two opposite sides are tongues42, the extreme ends of which are concave and warped to present a turnof a helix to engage a bolt thread.

Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate the first stage of this embodiment after theformation of the blank. In this stage, the body of the nut has beenpressed into a cup-like form shown and the two wings 42 extendedoutwardly.

Figs. 16 and 1'7 illustrate this nut in finished condition, after thetongues have been bent inwardly by a turn or approximately on theirjunctions with the nut sides as hinges. In the formation of the blankthe notches 48 were left on the opposite sides of the wines which wereto become inward tongues so that in the finished nut the lower face ofthese tongues is in the same plane with the bottom of the nut as shownparticularly in Fig. 16.

Fig. 19 illustrates the cup nut above described in use. Here a bolt F isshown with its thread shank f passing through two plates G to be securedtogether. The application of wrenches to the exterior of the hollow nutand to the head of the bolt causes the nut to be screwed tisht againshtthe adiacentplate Gand thus clamp the two plates together bottom the nutand bolt head.

In the modification shown in Figs. 20 to 25, the body oi the nut 58 isformed as hcretoiore described, but the outwardly extending wings 51 arediiiercot Each wing 52 is provided with a T-head the upper face oi whichis diagonally grooved, as shown at 54. These grooves are oi V-iormationin cross section and the incline thereof corresponds to the pitch of thethread or the bolt udth which the nut is to be used. The grooves may bemade in the wines by a pressing operation at the same time that the bodyoi the cap is pressed from the sheet metal, or they may be formed assubsequent operation by pressing or cutting the flat wirm illustrated inFigs. 20 and 21.

After the body is formed with the extended and grooved wings, thegrooved T-heads 53 0! the logs are bent at right angles to the attachedportion 62 of the wings, as shown in Fig. 22. Tbs puts the inclinedgrooving 64 on the outer vertical sides of the T-heads. These T- headsare then curved to a concave-convex form with the concavity outward asshown in Fig. 23.

Now the wings 52 are bent over on their junctlon 68 with the body as ahinge until those wings extend inwardly and are aligned with each otherat the bottom of the not, as shown in Fig. 24. This brings the groovedT-heads 53 into vertical position opposite each other, where theirgrooves iorm an interrupted helical thread or several turns for thereception of the bolt.

Fig. 26 illustrates the mounted out formed by the successive operationsindicated in Figs. 20 to 25. In Fig. 26 H indicates a cap screw having athreaded shock I: and the nut 50 is screwed onto this shank to clampbetween it. and the head of the bolt the plates .7.

In place oi forming the threads by grooving the T-heads on the extendedwings when the nut body is formed, I may leave these wings blank and tapthe thread after the nut is otherwise iormed. This is illustrated inFig. 2'7 where the nut has inturned wings B2 carrying ercuate T-heads 63which are blank. K indicates a usual screw tap shown as aligned with theaxis of the nut and in position to tap a. thread in the opposed orcuateT-heads B3.

In Figs. 28 and 29, I have shown another modified form oi cap not madeby this invention. Here the cap Til has the polygonal wail ii asheretofore described. but the wings 12 instead of extending inwardlyhorizontally at the bottom oi the nut extend inwardly in an upwardlyinclined direction and the grooved arcuate T-hcads on such wings I!(Individually slmi lar to the arcuaie grooved heads 53) extenddownwardly irom the upper ends of the portion 12 instead of upwardly asin Fig. 24.

Fig. 29 illustrates the nut 18 in use. Here the threaded T-heads i3engage the shank i of the cap screw L and operate to clamp the pair ofplates M between the head of the bolt and nut.

It will be seen from the various embodiments of the inventionillustrated in the diiterent views that my invention has a wide extentat adoptation. Notwithstanding the diilerencc in the specific formsshown they are allcharactcrized by a cap device being made oi a singlepiece of sheet material, deformed to produce the-body oi the device andoutwardly extending opposed wings. which are thcreaiter bent in on theirconnections with the body as hinges into the body adjacent its freeedge. These operations at cutting, stamping, and bending. am well knownand readily performed. so that my cap device may be produced by thismethod with great rapidity and at comparatively small e1- pense.

I claim:

l. A cap device comprising a bowl-lllre portion having a top and acontinuous wall. a pair oi. tongues integral with the wall extending inwardly directly therefrom. the under (are oi the tongues beingsubstantially in the same plane as the bottom or the wall where thetongues join the wall, the tongues being then bent upwardly and havingtheir free edges ccncaved and grooved to define a helical turn.

2. A cap-nut comprising a hollow body open at one end and having apolygonal wall, wings integral with the body and joining fiat faces ofthe well, said wings extending inwardly, each wing having a curvedextenlon projecting at an angle to the connecting portion of the wing.said extensions extending longitudinally about the axis oi the nut andbeing threaded on their inner periphery.

3. A cap-nut comprising a hollow body having a polygonal wall, a pair oiwings extending inwardly irom opposite fiat surfaces oi the wall at thelower ends thereof, the bottoms of said wings being substantially in thesame plane as the bottom of the rest of the wall. curved extensions atthe inner ends of said wings proiecting upwardly therefrom into theinterior oi the cap, the inner faces of said extensions defining a.substantially cylindrical space. such spaces being grooved by a grooveconstitutin an interrupted helix whereby the nut may be mounted on a.threaded bolt.

4. A cap-nut comprising a hollow body hav ing a polygonal wall, wingssecured at their lower ends to flat faces of the wall adjacent the freeedge thereof, said wings extending at on acute angle upwardly within thecap, the wings having downward extensions from their upper ends withinthe cap at an acute angle to the connected portion of the wings, saiddownward extensions being curved and grooved on their adjoining faces toprovide a helical thread.

5. A cap nut comprising a. hollow continuous bowl-like body having a topand a poly onal wall with ilat sides opposite each other. suitable forthe application of a wrench, a pair of tongues made by bending inwardlyextensions of opposite flat sides respectively. said tongues havingtheir free end portions projecting longitudinally within the body andribs in the inher faces of such longitudinally projecting portionsformed to define a. helix to engage a screw thread.

GEORGE A. TINNERMAN.

